Actully Feel A Bit Better

Well after concluding the 2 week detox, I have to say I feel better. I jut feel fresh. Its still cold as shit and I sleep a lot but not as tired. The workouts have been decent, still sitting at exactly the same weight. But there is now a feeling of freshness.

I was listening to an endurance nation podcast today about off season training. It also touched about how ironman training can be incredibly taxing on the average age groupers life in terms of time. They really stressed the point about only devoting your mental focus for 12 weeks. This way you do not get burnt out. Thats one thing I have done to myself over the last 2 years is mentally beat the shit out of myself. I spent a year thinking about Muskoka. Then I got sick and did shitty. So I spent another year grinding myself to make up for it. I did make it to Clearwater, but by the time I got there I was so mentally and physically burnt I wasn't really able to fully appreciate it. Looking back on it now I appreciate it more then when I was actually there.

Over the last little while my race season has started to come together a bit. I am registered in one half marathon and contemplating a second, and registered for Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island. There are plenty of oppurtunity for tune up races in between but I am happy with these choices for now physically, mentally, and financially.

The last 2 years my training has mainly been based on volume. The first year I had never done the distance and was purely focused on finishing. The second year I ramped up the volume and saw some gains but nothing extra ordinary. This year I am going to take a different approach and really focus on intensity. I am going to train faster. Before it was longer which allowed me to go faster at shorter distances keep a lower heart rate. But this year I am going to train faster and then race faster then that. This is going to be completed by shortening the time spend training but working at a higher intensity throughout the winter to develop a good base of speed. I will then slowly increase the volume to where it needs to be but instead of it being the main focus tempo will be the main focus. We will see how that translates on race day.

Cant Shake It

I dont know if its from starting school, the weather, or the past Christmas season but I can not shake off this feeling of tiredness. I am like a bear in hibernation all I want to do is sleep. Starting back at school isn't a great motivator either. This is hopefully the last semester that I will have to attend school. At this point I am so close I do not want to push it off for another year. I have never taken a full course load in my post secondary career. But knowing that if I can complete it, I will be done with school is a huge driving force. Right now all I am doing is trying to stay positive and hoping that my energy level will soon return to normal.

That being said I did have a solid run today. I shortened it up to 8 miles but I was really surprised at the pace I was able to sustain. It took exactly 1 hour which made the mile times 7:30/mile average. Taking into consideration I was slipping around most of the time, and I cant for the life of me lose one pound. I was very happy with the end result.

This weeks focus is to continue to get good sleeps, continue to follow my detox outlines and try and regain some energy.

Sport: Run

Duration: 1 hr

Distance: 8 miles

Avg. pace: 7:30 / mile

The 2 Week Detox

Even though I kept the Christmas season mostly under control I still packed on a little weight and family took priority over exercise. I figure it will be good to commence in a 2 week detox. From what I have read 2 weeks should be enough for me to really feel back on track. I am not following a perscribed plan, instead I am working the creative juices and creating my own.

Davis Sohor's unofficial unproven detox:

things eat home cooked natural foods

avoid sugars

no alcohol

and drink lots of water

use body as transport ( ride bike places)

get full sleeps

Lets be honest theres no way I going to do one of those lemon water detoxes.

So far my unofficial detox has gone well I have my winter bike totally set up ready for winter riding. I found a cereal where sugar is not even in the top 5 ingredients never mind top 3, and I have already turned down 3 opportunities to drink.

But there are still 2 weekends I need to make it through so I will keep updating on my progress.

Banff

Well I have survived another year in Banff. I was able to keep drinking to a minimum and sustain injury for another year. I also managed to squeeze in two amazing runs while I was there.

We will first review the bad, so we can then end up on a positive note. On the first day there were two fairly serious injuries. The first one one of the passengers broke their wrist in 2 places. As if that was not bad enough one of the people I was riding with compressed a vertebrae. Both of these injuries were enough to keep these people out for the rest of the trip.

On the third day there was one more injury. An exchange student managed to do some serious damage to the cartilage in her knee. She was also out for the rest of the week and may have to fly back to her home country.

It is too bad that these injuries occurred but snowboarding is a risky sport and sometimes you pay the price.

That being said there was also lots of positive on the trip. I have been thanked numerous times from many people saying how much fun they had and how they would have never been able to organize it them selves. New years was an absolute blast there is nothing better then being surrounded by mountains and celebrating new years with people form all over the world. I was also able to find Kelcie a nice piece of jewellery made from a rare fossil called Amorolite.

Overall I was able to keep drinking to a minimum, get a few runs in, and not get hurt. Now its time for a 2 week detox and really bare down this semester at school.